Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1887-10-29
AT TALMAcE's TABERNACLE.


Interior Decorati0ns-TheO Opening Prayer
The Preacher and His Preaching.
The tabernacle has nothing imposing
about it. Next 70 Plymouth it is one Of
the homeliest church buildings in Brook
lyn from any external point of view.
Probably 1900 people were patiently
waiting for the iron gates to open on Sun
day morning. Some of them must have
been in the street an hour, and when the
iron gates opened there was q rush for the
unreserved pews and they were quickly
filed. When the services commenced
every seat was occupied. people were
sitting in some of the aisles, and the space
between the back pews and the wall was
packed with standing auditors.
| said something in a former letter
about the interior of the Tabernacle, but
its gold, silver, blue and green is seen at a
double advantage from the balcony. It's
decorations would be appropriate for any
pleasant theatre or hall. Two or three
people in the balcony, one of them lady,
became so impressed with the secular
characteristics OF the place that they pro-
ceeded to study morning papers. But
ushers made descent upon them and the
papers were pocketed again. Somebody
tainted and there was slight commotion,
a half dozen reporters and stenographers
fled down an aisle to the space before the
pulpit and q company Of cadets marched
in as the great organ belched out the first
heavy chords of the opening voluntary.
Then everybody standing sang Praise
God from whom all blessings flow,n and
the pastor made the opening prayer stand
ing, while the congregation sat. / am
thus definite because there are scores OF
Presbyterian churches that would pro-
badly consider the sitting posture, as a
practice, disrespectful in the extreme.
Only two years ago recall an incident in
a western New York town in which the
minister told his hearers it would be bet
ter for them to stay at home than thus to
show their weak spiritual condition to the
world.
After the prayer the people, led by a
cornet player, accompanied the thunder Of
the organ song, "Hold the Fortm Several
thousand people is great chorus when
everybody sings. Then we had cornet
solo as the collection was taken.
/ have told you before how the preacher
looks, but his preaching Is indescribable.
I am sorry that it is not like that of any
body else, without any fear of contradic-
ton. His methods are peculiar but not
fantastic, dramatic but not sensational, as
think. Such differences of opinion exist
about this preacher, however, that want
TO try to express how most of his auditors
regard him.
One of the queer figures of speech l
heard the other day at the Tabernacle was
from the pastor in speaking about the
self righteous 'grinding away at the
windlass of the dry well of earthly satis-
faction." One of the things heard that
pleased everybody and didn't seem to do
any harm was "B0ulanger's March,"
with the use of the great organs bell stop
in the second strain, played just before
the sermon.
A free thinking friend of mine from
Cattaraugus county attended this opening
service with me. II tell you," said he,
''if lived here I'd never miss TINT SER
vice" Yet, he said he hadn't been inside
n church for five years. lie was enter
tanned, heard a sermon that saint or sin
ner alone could find meat i'm without
wearisome encounters with doctrinal mat
ters, and, since they say anything heard
or seen has an undying influence, he was
influenced for good rather than evil, am
sure.
BY the way, Mr.. Talmage told me one
day that he asked no greater recognition
for what he had done than the inscription
on his tombstone. ''Talmage, Popular
Preacher. "-McDonald In Buffalo Ex-
press